


that's what friends are for

by lightningcanary



Category: Blindspot (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 06:22:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14396166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningcanary/pseuds/lightningcanary
Summary: An additional for 3x18, set after the elevator scene.





	that's what friends are for

Rich is getting out of Reade's office when he sees Patterson hastily exiting the elevator and sprinting towards the bathrooms. Looking back at the elevator before the doors close, he sees the reason Patterson is acting like that. Zapata is in it, eyes pointed to the floor and slow sigh already in action. As the doors close, he decides to follow Patterson.

He opens the bathroom door and finds her there, elbows on the sink's counter, hands covering her eyes and fingers nervously running through her hair.

"Hey," Rich says in a whisper, trying not to disturb her.

Her fingers stop moving and she sighs. She straightens her pose and turns around to face him, running one hand down her hair. "Hi," she says. Her lips twitch in what he guesses was an attempt at a smile.

"Are you okay?" he asks, taking a step closer.

She takes a deep breath, looking around, and lets it out when her eyes fall back on him. "Yeah, the date was going horribly anyway," Patterson says as if it was nothing. "Not even being attacked by a professional assassin could ruin it more."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Her brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

He scratches his neck. "I saw you coming out of the elevator." Patterson's forehead softens as she understands what he's talking about. "And I saw... _her_ in it."

She looks away, towards the mirrors. "I'm alright."

"You don't look alright, Patterson." He takes another step closer, now near enough to touch her.

"Geez, thanks."

"And it's okay. It's normal." Her eyes lock with his through the mirror. "You can talk to me." He puts a hand on her shoulder to emphasize his words.

Patterson closes her eyes and bites her lip for a few seconds before squeezing them and opening them again. She looks at him with hurt in the eyes and he knows he can't do much to take it away, because he knows exactly what - who - she needs, and it's not him, but, damn, does he wish he could do something.

"I miss her," her voice is so small he wouldn't have heard her if they weren't do close. "I miss her so much, but I can't. I just. It hurts too much." A tear runs down her cheek.

"I know..."

She shakes her head while wiping tears off her face. "You don't." She sniffs as more tears fall. "I love her, Rich," Patterson says giving up on trying to wipe the tears away. "The date was a disaster and-- all I could think about was her. That I wanted to call her, to complain about Jack with her. That I wanted her to be there with me instead of him. And then she appeared and saved my life and now, in the elevator I wanted to- forgive her, I almost did, but... It still hurts, what she did. And the worst thing is I-- I think... I think I'm in love with her."

He looks at her with a sad expression and nods. "Yeah, I know."

She frowns and makes a questioning sound that sounds like a "what?" but is so broken that it doesn't actually sound like a real word.

He opens his arms, leaving her the option to hug him if she wants to. She does. He strokes her back as he answers her question. "I realized a few weeks ago. Before the whole project dragonfly stuff happened. I was gonna ask you about it but we solved that tattoo and well..." They break the hug and look at each other, Patterson's tears have stopped falling. "You know? There's worse people you could be in love with.." She raises an eyebrow, questioning. "Like... Weller. Or Roman." She laughs, making him smile. "Or worse," he adds, holding her wrist. "You could be in love with Keaton," he says, faking terror at the idea and making both of them laugh more.

Once their laugh has died down, she smiles softly at him. "Thank you."

He smiles back. "Anytime... And... You know? Whenever you are ready to forgive her, she'll be there, waiting for you."


End file.
